New York's Historic Pier A Restoration

Ten Imperial Brown walk-in coolers are part of the restoration of Pier A, the last surviving historic pier just off Battery Park in New York City near the southern end of Manhattan.

The three-story, 38,000-square-foot building, originally used by the NYC Department of Docks and Harbor Police, is expected to become a major dining destination. It is being outfitted with a long hall, a 600-person capacity restaurant furnished with picnic tables, oyster stations, and a long bar on the first floor. An open kitchen on the second floor includes three chef’s tables, while elsewhere are four private dining rooms, several other public dining areas, and a teak-lined bar room. There will be stained glass and pressure gauges from 19th-century steamships, and a stairway to the 126-year-old pier's clock tower will become a three-story refrigerated "wine tower.” A live entertainment and bar venue is planned for the third floor.

Pier A, a Beaux Arts style building, is on the National Register of Historic Places and has been designated a New York City landmark. It has panoramic Hudson River waterside views of the Statue of Liberty.

The East Coast Imperial Brown facility built the 10 walk-in coolers, using a combination of low density urethane (LDU) and high density urethane (HDU) panels for the custom work. The walk-in units range in size from 8’x8’ to 12’x12.’ Imperial Brown is the only manufacturing facility in the country with the ability to produce HDU/LDU combination panels, a distinct price and technical advantage to customers.

This technique creates a product that has advantages over traditional products, either a complete LDU or HDU walk-in cooler. The technique gives the factory complete flexibility to build coolers of any shape or size, while containing cost. The result is a stronger, consistent product, with a more efficient production time, a lower materials cost and a higher overall R-rating.

The Imperial Brown “star” of the Pier A line-up of walk-in coolers is a 22’x13’ keg cooler for the first-floor long hall restaurant. The walk-in cooler will be exposed to the dining public. In order for customers to see the kegs, the cooler has six windows, each 3’x4,’ on each of the long sides. The remainder of the unit has wainscoting, both on the exterior and interior, with a rustic finish to match the restaurant décor. “This is a beautiful, highly functional display cooler at the heart of the project,” says Rick Jones, Technical Service Manager/Energy Consultant and Refrigeration Specialist for Imperial Brown.

Myers Restaurant Supply, LLC, of Marlton, NJ, working with food service consultant Next Step Design of Annapolis, MD, is the Imperial Brown customer.